Mike Cohen & Glenn J. Nashen enjoy a full Eggspectation experience

I have long been a fan of the Eggspectation (www.eggspectation.com) restaurant chain. A few years ago I met Enzo Renda, who has driven this business globally with a presence in other parts of Canada, the United States, India, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Renda says that Eggspectation is known for the high quality of its products. “We use real maple syrup, not table syrup,” he says. “We use mega eggs as well.  Our French toast is made with real French brioche bread. The fact is if I do not have quality food then I do not put it on the table.”

There are actually more than 100 plus items on the Eggspectation menu. This place is a lot more than just breakfast.

The Eggspectation concept was created by Eggspectation Group, with a first restaurant in downtown Montreal in 1993. Since then Eggspectation restaurants have become synonymous with innovation, high-quality food, excellent service, and a unique and exciting dining experience.

Each franchise has a different feel to it. My friend Glenn J. Nashen and I were happy to pay a visit to the locale at 5179 Côte des Neiges Road, close to Queen Mary.  

This franchise opened nine years ago and sits 100 people. Manager Alexandra Pinna, who has been there from day one, greeted us at the front and showed us to a nice table. Let me say from the outset that this was truly an entirely different and very satisfying Eggspectation experience for Glenn and me thanks to Alexandra’s excellent suggestions. Whereas in the past we have merely tried the basic egg options, we went well beyond that this time.

We started things off with some smoothies opting for the peanut butter and jam!!  This has all the flavour of your classic sandwich swirled into a sweet and nutty drink. peanut butter, strawberry jam and bananas with honey and yogurt. 

That was a great way to kick things off. Alexander recommended that we share a couple of starters. We sought her opinion and settled on the Smoked Wild Sockeye Salmon Crostini. This encompasses smoked wild sockeye salmon, served with capers, red onions and cucumbers, with Philadelphia cream cheese spread on toasted ciabatta slices.  We added the Eggspectation’s Original Crab Cake, the chain’s own rendition of the classic crabcake on a bed of spicy slaw and topped with adollop of lemon aioli.

Glenn and I never thought of having a burger at Eggspectation. Well, burgers here are made with Triple A Butcher’s Block reserve angus Beef and served on an artisanal brioche bun with fries or a mixed field green salad. There was a mushroom swiss burger on the lunch special menu and we split everything in half. It was quite superb!  Added to the order was the Lobster Benny- two perfectly poached eggs accompanied by gently sautéed Maritime lobster on a toasted  English muffin and a natural lobster reduction sauce.

Their trademark and most delicious Lyonnaise-style potatoes were of course included.

Well yes we were full. But Alexandra urged us to consider a dessert so we opted for the Crepe Suzette -flaming flavour from a flambéed butter and orange brandy sauce.  

Indeed you will have a tough time choosing between dishes: crepes, soups, salads, omelets, pasta, steak, chicken, seafood, sandwiches, or our famous Eggs Benedict and fresh squeezed orange juice! Freshly prepared with high-quality ingredients and attractively presented, this menu only has one flaw: you could eat too much like Glenn and I.

With seating for 100 people, this franchise is very popular with the Université de Montréal crowd and diners in general. I saw people of all ages when were there. Tables are setup along two long rows. A couple of large flat screen TVs allow patrons to watch their favorite game.

I encouraged the ownership group to consider staying open on Saturday evenings. They took that suggestion under advisement.

This Eggspectation is located at  5179 Côtes des Neiges. Hours of operation are 7 am to 3:30 pm Monday to Friday and 8:00 am to 4:30 pm on weekends. For more information call 514-507-4499 or log on to www.eggspectation.com